Michael J. Smith Elevated to AIA’s 2022 College of Fellows

We are proud to announce that our very own Michael J. Smith has been elevated to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows, in recognition of his significant contributions to the profession of architecture and society.

Fellows are recognized with the AIA’s highest membership honor for their exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society. Only three percent of the AIA’s membership receive this distinction.

Michael Smith, FAIA, is the business practice and market strategies leader for the Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign. Working in partnership with Mehrdad Yazdani for more than twenty years, he has evolved a unique practice typology—an experimental design incubator within a larger firm—and crafts indelible synergy between the studio and the firm, cross-fertilizing in both directions with reciprocal benefits for both. As project principal on many Yazdani Studio projects, Michael has led work in fifteen states and nine countries across numerous markets and has served on CannonDesign’s Board of Directors. Recent projects include Caltech’s Resnick Sustainability Center, Emaar Address at Harbour Point and UC San Diego Jacobs Medical Center.